“Hands in the air where I can see them!” Jack ordered as he pointed his gun at the lone occupant of the truck.
The man, his hands extended over his head, stepped out of the vehicle.
“Spin around there, Paco,” Jack directed as he moved in behind the obviously surprised Hispanic man, kicking his legs apart and pushing him rudely across the hood of the truck.
Ashley walked over to where Jack was patting the man down. She could hear Jack speaking to the suspect in a loud voice.
“Where you think you’re going there, Paco?” Jack boomed as he finished patting the man down.
“No hablo Ingles,” she heard the man respond, his contention that he couldn’t speak English only serving to further infuriate Jack.
“Listen, Paco. I’m not playing games here,” Jack yelled in the suspect’s ear as he grabbed his collar from behind.
“Jack!” Ashley yelled. “Settle down. He says he doesn’t speak English.”
“That’s what they all say,” Jack replied over his shoulder. “I bet old Paco here speaks English better than we do.”
Ashley huffed. “Could you be a little less racist?”
Jack gave Ashley a stern look and spun the suspect around to reveal a name tag on what appeared to be his factory uniform. “Paco Gonzalez.”
“Apology accepted,” Jack smirked as he held the suspect against the truck.
“Okay, Paco, suppose you start talking and tell us why you’re driving this truck,” Jack said.
Paco shook his head and shrugged. “No hablo.”
“Well, I don’t speak Mexican,” Jack declared, prompting an eye roll from Ashley.
“It’s called Spanish and I do speak it,” Ashley said as she pushed Jack aside and began speaking to the suspect.
While Ashley was questioning Paco, Jack walked over and made a closer inspection of the bullet holes.
“These are mine alright,” Jack declared, noting the freshness of the holes which had no sign of rust on them. “I’m going to run the VIN on the truck and see who it comes back to.”
Ashley continued her questioning of the suspect as Jack jotted down the identification numbers from the truck and went back to the patrol car to call them in to dispatch. He sat behind the wheel of the patrol car, watching Ashley talk to the man while he waited for the dispatcher to get back to him.
“Agent Looper. We have the VIN you requested,” the dispatcher revealed. “It comes back registered to Paradise Ranch LLC.”
“What?” Jack mouthed. “The Paradise Ranch here in Liberty County?”
“That’d be ten-four,” the dispatcher confirmed. “One and the same.”
Thanking the dispatcher, Jack walked back to where Paco was animatedly explaining something to Ashley.
“Tell Paco that he’s in possession of stolen goods and could go to prison,” Jack told Ashley, his pronouncement getting a nervous look from the suspect.
Jack leaned into Ashley’s ear and explained what he had learned from dispatch. Paco continued explaining his situation to Ashley in Spanish.
“He says he bought it from a man this morning that came by the sawmill where he works,” Ashley explained after hearing Paco’s explanation. “He works for one of the mills that supplies wood to Paradise Ranch for their furniture business. He said he sees the guy once in a while, stopping by the lumber yard.”
“That still doesn’t explain why he’s driving a stolen truck,” Jack noted. “The same truck, mind you, that was used to ambush us yesterday.”
“He says his old car gave out and he was desperate,” Ashley continued. “When the guy offered him the truck for five hundred dollars, he thought it was a God send. He said he’d been praying for a miracle. He said he was afraid he’d lose his job if he wasn’t able to get to work and he needs his job to keep up his family.”
“We’ve all got a sob story,” Jack eyed Paco, realizing he wasn’t one of the ones involved in the ambush the day before.
Jack motioned Ashley over to him and gave Paco a stern look. “You stay right there, Paco. We aren’t done with you yet.”
Taking Ashley by the arm as she quietly explained what was happening to Paco, Jack pulled her aside “A little too convenient if you ask me,” Jack volunteered. “Could your buddy over there identify the man who sold him the truck if he saw him again?”
“Yes,” Ashley replied. “He gave me a description al-ready. He said he never forgets a face.”
“Okay, well you get his personal information and tell him that he better cooperate with us or he’ll be going to jail. That includes identifying the guy who sold the truck to him if we find a suspect,” Jack said. “That’s part of the deal.”
“What about the truck?” Ashley wondered. “Do we have it towed?”
Jack looked at Paco nervously leaning against the bullet-riddled truck, waiting to hear his fate.
“Possession is ninth tenths of the law,” Jack shrugged, realizing that five hundred dollars was a couple of weeks pay for him. “Besides, I’m sure Elijah believes in giving to the poor.”
Paco’s face lit up as Ashley explained what they had decided. He readily agreed to their terms. She wrote down his contact information. He gave Jack a broad smile and waved at him as he climbed back in his truck.
“Thank you, Agent Looper,” Paco said through a thick accent as he smiled and pulled away.
“See?” Jack said pointing to Paco as his truck left in a wave of dust. “I told you he was faking.”
“He speaks very little English,” Ashley revealed as she tore off Paco’s information and handed it to Jack. “He lives over on the reservation. He’s part native-American. He and his family came up from Mexico a few years ago and have a place about ten miles from here. You realize he hasn’t the slightest about what happened yesterday, about the ambush.”
“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “I’d already realized that by the time you were screaming at me, calling me a racist. You’re not the only one with keen powers of observation, you know.”
“I’m sorry,” Ashley apologized. “It’s just that some-times you aren’t the most tactful person in the world and it can come off as a little … rude.”
“That’s why I got you along, darlin’,” Jack smiled. “You’re the yin to my yang. Just don’t forget who’s boss.”
“Yes sir,” Ashley saluted. “Where to now, boss?”
“To the ranch,” Jack declared as he climbed back behind the wheel.
“For what?” Ashley scowled.
“To find out if he knows where his truck is,” Jack shot back as he ground the starter, the engine sputtering to life after a couple of cranks.
Jack put the pedal to the floor after they passed through town and hit the open road past Halfway Inn. The old cruiser hit 130 as they topped the hill from town.
“You really like driving fast, don’t you Jack?” Ash-ley said as they came into view of the fence that sur-rounded the ranch.
“Ain’t no cops on this side of the hill, darlin’,” Jack smiled as they approached the access road. “Besides, I need to clean the gunk out of the engine. I bet she hasn’t been driven in a decade.”
Jack slowed as they reached the gate, expecting to be buzzed in like before. However, the gate swung open as they approached, the guards waving him in.
“He did say come back anytime,” Jack noted as he cruised past the guard shack.
Ashley shook her head. “They were expecting us. They knew we were coming.”
“Maybe they like us,” Jack smirked as he guided the cruiser into the lush green center of Paradise Ranch.
Ashley’s concern was immediately validated as they pulled toward the administrative building to find Elijah standing outside with a couple of his disciples.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Elijah began as they climbed out of the patrol car. “Agent Looper, Agent Reynolds. Always our welcome guests.”
Jack accepted Elijah’s hand, returning a firm hand-shake.
“Might I hope you are her
e with information about the heinous murder of our dear Carol?” Elijah began.
“Actually we’re here to ask a few more questions,” Jack responded, withdrawing his hand.
“Anything I can do to help,” Elijah beamed. “We want to be of any assistance we can to bring her killer to justice.”
“Well then, suppose you tell us why one of your trucks was used to ambush us after we left yesterday.” Ashley interjected before Jack could reply, her impatience catching him by surprise since that was usually his forte.
“What?” Elijah cocked his head. “I haven’t the slightest of what you’re talking about, Agent Reynolds. Why would we want to harm you when you’re here trying to help us find who killed Carol?”
Jack shot Ashley a gaze, not appreciating her taking the lead.
“There’s no question about it,” Jack spoke up. “The truck still had my bullet holes in it today and the registration came back to Paradise Ranch. So, suppose you explain that.”
Ashley stepped over to Elijah and handed him her phone, bearing the picture of the truck she had taken earlier that day.
“May I? Elijah asked, taking the phone and confer-ring with one of his disciples who whispered something into his ear.
“I fear that you’re right,” Elijah sheepishly stated as he handed the phone back to Ashley. “This is one of our vehicles.”
“Care to explain then?” Jack narrowed his eyes.
“Well, it seems the truck you’re inquiring about went missing a couple of weeks ago,” Elijah replied.
“Went missing?” Jack questioned. “Are you trying to tell me someone was able to sneak in here and spirit away the truck?”
“Not hardly,” Elijah laughed. “No, from what I’m being told, it was one of the trucks we use to get sup-plies from town. It was stolen from one of our couriers in New Hope.”
“If it was stolen then why didn’t you report it?” Ashley spoke up, getting a sideways look from Jack.
“Please, Agent Reynolds,” Elijah said. “Surely you’ve been around here long enough to realize that the law doesn’t extend to us here in Paradise. What good would it do to report it stolen? Do you really think Sheriff Tubbs would lift a finger to do anything when it comes to helping us? As far as the law goes, this is the wild frontier. We have to look out for ourselves.”
“I suppose you know nothing about who ambushed us minutes after we left here yesterday, huh?” Jack continued. “Or why they used the truck stolen from you to do it?”
Elijah shook his head. “Unfortunately, I have no control of what happens outside our gates. That’s why we keep to ourselves, with our own. Maybe your arrival made someone nervous – someone outside our gates.”
Ashley opened her mouth to continue the questioning but was stopped by Jack who held up his hand.
“All the same, you need to report a theft of property,” Jack said as he nodded toward Ashley to return to the car. “That might help avoid further … misunderstandings.”
“Understood,” Elijah agreed. “We will be sure to do that in the future. We don’t want to have misunderstandings.”
“See that you do,” Jack said as he stepped toward the car.
“Our gates are always open to you,” Elijah threw up his hand. “Come back anytime, day or night.”
“We may just do that,” Jack confirmed as he climbed behind the wheel.
Elijah stepped over to the car and leaned in the open window.
“And please, agents, do be careful out there,” Elijah encouraged. “There’s evil outside our gates.”
“There’s evil everywhere,” Jack cracked as the engine ground to life. “We’ll be seeing you.”
“Soon, I hope,” Elijah stood back and waved with a friendly smile.
That smile left his face scarcely after the black and white police car disappeared over the hill.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HILL
“Idiots!” Elijah raved as he stormed into his office moments later. “Get Carlos on the phone right now. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
Elijah flopped down in his chair and held his breath for a moment, slowly letting it out as he sat back, closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.
“Must I do everything myself?” Elijah lamented with his eyes still closed as a couple of his disciples timidly entered the office and sat in chairs opposite their leader.
“Elijah, we are here to …” began one of the disciples who sat across the desk from him.
“It was rhetorical, Johnson,” Elijah lashed out with his eyes still closed, his head pressed back against the high-back leather executive’s seat. “You know what a rhetorical question is, don’t you?”
“Well, I …” Johnson began.
“Nevermind,” Elijah waved him off. “It’s not worth my time.”
“Mr. Castillo is on the line, sir,” Elijah’s secretary called out over the intercom.
“We’re about to get to the bottom of this,” Elijah vowed as he leaned forward and hit the intercom but-ton.
“Carlos!” Elijah began in an annoyed tone. “What’s going on out there? Things are getting crazy all of a sudden.”
“That’s not my fault,” Carlos Castillo replied defen-sively, ready for a confrontation. “You’re the one who started all of this with the woman. We didn’t kill her.”
Elijah ground his teeth and nodded his head, resist-ing an all-out rant on his Mexican partner.
“It has nothing to do with the woman,” Elijah shot back. “It has everything to do with how you’ve been messing up your end lately. And, may I point out, had you done your job correctly the first time we wouldn’t be crawling with federal types.”
“Whoa there, Ese,” Carlos protested. “If we hadn’t had to clean up your mess then there wouldn’t have been an issue. That wasn’t even part of our deal.”
Elijah sat forward and scowled at the phone, setting his jaw.
“Don’t call me Ese!” Elijah yelled into the speaker. “I’m not your homeboy. I’m not your friend. I’m not even your partner. We simply have a business agreement – one that benefits both of us – an agreement you’re failing to uphold as of late.”
“Easy, my friend,” Carlos urged. “No reason to hate.”
“All you had to do was bury the body. Was that so hard?” Elijah continued with his criticism, ignoring Carlos’ olive branch. “There’s nothing but dirt and sand for miles. What was so difficult about that? I’m sure it wasn’t the first time you had to get rid of the dearly departed.”
“Maybe you should have buried your own trash. I’m here to provide a service not to clean up your messes,” Carlos responded. “And, by the way, I don’t like the tone of disrespect you’re using, my friend.”
“I’ll use any tone I please!” Elijah stood up, his face getting red as he shouted into the intercom. “And, who were you to go out on your own? What were you think-ing, ambushing a couple of federal agents? That was never part of the plan.”
“We know how to handle such situations,” Carlos confidently replied. “You should thank me for taking action and encouraging their stay here to be a short one.”
“All you did was light a fire under them,” Elijah pro-tested, running his hand through his thinning hair. “That Jack Looper is a cowboy. He’s not your normal federal agent. He’s a bit … crazy. Oh, and the scorpions? Real-ly? Whose idea was that?”
“We have our techniques, my friend,” Carlos coun-tered. “They aren’t the first federal agents who we’ve crossed paths with.”
Elijah paced the office for a moment, trying to calm himself from the edge of rage.
“Need I remind you that thanks to Paradise Ranch, you have become a very wealthy man?” Elijah contin-ued.
“And need I remind you, Ese, we have helped you amass quite a fortune?” Carlos noted in a stern tone. “We have both benefited from our partnership.”
“Then you understand why I feel a bit … agitated when your actions threaten our way of life here in Para-dise,” E
lijah said.
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Carlos replied. “I as-sure you, we are only thinking about the common good.”
“In that case, why did one of the trucks I provided you for … transport, end up motoring around town this morning?” Elijah quizzed. “If you’re going to use prop-erty I’ve loaned you, then you could at least dispose of it when you are through rather than sell it like you’re operating a used car lot. Not very professional from where I’m standing.”
The phone fell silent for a few moments as Carlos was taken aback by the revelation.
“That truck was supposed to be burned,” Carlos growled over the line.
“Well, it wasn’t burned – Ese – it turned up in town today with some mill worker driving it,” Elijah said in a mocking tone. “You see why I’m getting a bit nerv-ous?”
“I ordered it to be disposed of,” Carlos’ anger esca-lated.
“It looks like someone didn’t follow orders,” Elijah quipped.
Carlos again fell silent but this time his anger was palpable even on Elijah’s side of the phone.
“I’ll make this right, my friend,” Carlos finally spoke up. “Disobedience has certain … consequences. An example WILL be made.”
“So you’ll take care of the truck issue?” Elijah asked.
“Consider it done,” Carlos declared. “Anyone who has had contact with that truck will be taken care of.”
“I’ll take your word for that,” Elijah replied. “Just make sure it’s discreet.”
“Of course,” Carlos agreed. “We’re straight, then?”
“Sure,” Elijah breathed. “Straight.”
“Until our meeting the night after next, then,” Carlos said.
“We will see you then,” Elijah said as he clicked off the intercom.
Elijah stood pensively in deep thought for a few moments. His disciples sat silently, realizing that inter-rupting their leader’s train of thought would be a mis-take.
“It’s time we severed our relationship with Carlos,” Elijah said, walking over to look out the window. “Johnson.”
“Yes sir,” Johnson barked.
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